The best things in life

Just in case some of you don't know it, your Editor has a life outside the Diary. A working one, mostly involving motor cars and aspects of motoring, including offroad.



And I spent last weekend in Solihull at the Land Rover factory campus, chasing after a group of 44 Irish men and women who were taking part in the runoffs to become Ireland's representative on the Land Rover G4 Challenge 2006.



I was wearing multiple hats: journalist, judge, and photographer. And it was fun, tough fun though, watching them all really punish themselves in a series of athletic, driving and navigational tests designed to show up the best and the weakest facets of each one.

I was no stranger to it, having covered the final week-long leg of the first G4 Challenge in 2003, across southern Utah in the United States. Though I did none of the mountain biking, trekking, running and climbing that the contestants did, I got more than my share of exercise, and air dusty and fresh as I and my camera followed the tests, and sometimes scarifying trips in the back of a Discovery as the teamed Irish and Canadian contestants pair drove thither and yon in pursuit of the grand prize of a Range Rover.



Last weekend's group were a great crowd, and though only three of them -- one a Carbury girl, Vanessa Lawrenson above -- made it through to the next round at the end of January, there wasn't a hint of disappointment amongst the others as they waited for their plane home at Birmingham Airport.

These were all outdoors people, with various sports and athletic and environmental interests. Where many of us go only to the pub for entertainment, they were the kind who climb a mountain or two first, and then go to the pub to talk about it amongst themselves.

As a nation maybe we give ourselves a bad name as drinkers, Celtic tigers without compassion, increasingly unspiritual, and me feiners.

But I know from growing up and still living in Kilcullen that this is not the true picture, only the odd miswielded brush-stroke. We all here know so many of the good things about people that we can see through the portrayed nastiness as mostly malhype.

And as I watched all those others last weekend, who should have been ruthless and selfish and doing their damndest to make sure their fellow competitors didn't catch up, let alone pass, that same thing was evident.

The strong helped the weaker. The individuals were pulled along by a team spirit. And each encouraged everybody else to get through the really tough parts.



None of them really knew each other when they arrived at Dublin Airport on the way out. By the time they came back, they were, as one put it to me, 'members of a new small club'. And they'd already made plans to meet again.

Also, very many of them had found new things about themselves, including being able to do things they'd not believed themselves capable of before the weekend.

I was there in a professional capacity. But I was truly bouyed up by watching them compete and become friends at the same time. No less than I have been many times growing up and living in the community spirit of Kilcullen.

Some of my fellow journalists and the newspapers they work for might spend much of their time highlighting the bad side of modern Irish life.

As far as I'm concerned, there's much more of the other out there ...

Brian Byrne.

Christmas at the Hideout

Christmas is upon us, it seems.

On Friday the official switching on of the town's new Christmas lights takes place. But there are already a number of places dressed for the season.

I'm impressed by what Martin Myles has done in the Hideout, it looks really Christmasy. And there's a programme of Christmas season suggestions available too, including a special Christmas Dinner menu at €28 a head and a New Year Eve Gala Night with dinner at €40 per person.

Check it out. And if you like to play darts, he has a series of Tuesday Night competitions between now and Christmas with prizes of turkeys and hams.

Don't know the entry fee, but it is bound to be cheaper than a turkey.

Brian Byrne.

KARE facility officially opened

The official opening of the McMahon Centre KARE operation in the old Cross & Passion Convent took place last Friday night.

The Diary understands that not everybody who was invited turned up, for various reasons including the inclement weather and the same night's Gala Night opening of A Christmas Carol in the Town Hall Theatre.

But it was a good occasion nevertheless, from all reports.

We'd have gone if we'd known. Which says as much for the Editor's journalism as it does for KARE's PR management.

The Diary now knows that a Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance was held in Kilcullen Parish Church at 6pm.

The official opening and dedication of The McMahon Centre was performed by Senator John Dardis, and was followed by a function at the Standhouse Hotel to celebrate the contribution made by Bob Kelly to KARE over the past 15 years.

Congratulations to all concerned.

Brian Byrne.

Drama Gala Night: 3

The Diary is up to its editorial tonsils at the moment, trying to get a magazine to the printers. So just to keep things going here until we have time to draw breaths, here are some more pictures from last Friday's Gala opening night in the Town Hall Theatre.

Meantime, some articles are promised by a number of contributors, so we wait with anticipation.






Brian Byrne.

Drama Gala Night: 2

In the Diary's usual way, we took a lot of pictures at last Friday's Gala opening night of the 'Christmas Carol'. Here are some more from that occasion, and we'll publish more sets over the coming days.

The event was catered by the Kilcullen Scout troop.






Brian Byrne.

Thanks for the help

The donations to Michael Garry House via miscellany now stands at €3,510.

The plight of homeless people strikes a chord with everyone. Thanks to many people, the donors, the artistes who gave of their talents, the publicity people and those who worked on the day.

There is a bottomless well of goodwill out there, long may it continue.






Phena Bermingham.

Martin Nolan at Ballymore

Uileann Piper Martin Nolan plays the Ballymore Inn on Monday night Nov 28. Martin, who is also known for his ability on the Low Whistle and his singing, will be joined by Kevin O'Connor on Fiddle and John Ryan on Bazouki and vocals.

These are some of the finest traditional musicians on the circuit and a great show is promised. A must for all lovers of traditional music, the show begins at 9:30 pm. Doors 9pm. Further details from Larry Roddy 045 864017.

Roy Thompson.

Honoured at show gala opening

There were two special events last evening during the traditional gala opening night of the Kilcullen Drama Group's latest production, 'A Christmas Carol'.



A presentation was made to Kitty and Dick Reid for their contribution to scouting in the town, and a picture and plaque were unveiled in honour of the late Pat Dunlea.

In a preamble to the presentation to the Reids, master of ceremonies Maurice O'Mahoney recalled that the scouts were set up in 1977 at the instigation of Fr Sean Kavanagh and a number of other people.

"Since then some 3,500 young people and more than 100 leaders have passed through the scouts here," he noted, adding that from a humble start in the Tennis Club the troop had moved through several temporary premises until they got their purpose-built Den in 2000 in the Community Centre.

Accepting the presentation, Dick Reid paid tribute to all the leaders who had helped make the achievement possible.



The picture and plaque in honour of Pat Dunlea was unveiled by the chair of the Drama Group, Mary Berney, following a resume of Pat's lifelong involvement in community work in the town.

"Over the years he helped numerous groups who were providing sporting and recreational activities in the town," Maurice O'Mahoney said. "But he had a very special place for the drama group and right from the start he was involved in every production. He was also very much involved in the refurbishment of the theatre and then in the design and construction of the foyer and heritage centre where we are this evening."

Brian Byrne.

It's Snowtime!

Well, the first snows of winter have certainly come early. Given that we haven't had much snow in recent years, the Diary wonders if this is a presager of an unusually hard winter?

Wrap up, anyway. And travel carefully, whether driving or walking.





Brian Byrne.

Miscellany on Sunday: 4

... and some more people enjoying the entertainment and the chat.





Brian Byrne.

Miscellany on Sunday: 3

Continuing the pictures from the Michael Garry House fundraiser hosted by Tom and Phena Bermingham recently.

(There were a lot of people there thoughout the afternoon, so we've got a few batches of pictures yet to go!)






Brian Byrne.

Bardons Golf Society meet

Bardon's Golf Society is holding an Open Meeting on Thursday 24 November.

Time is 8pm in the pub, and all are welcome.

A Note from California

Hello Brian,

Nice work on the 1982 Capers CD. It is a fine collection of interviews and resurrecting them in modern media serves not only as warm nostalgia but also as a valuable reminder of community identity.

I am Mrs Norah Breslin’s seventh son and represented Brannockstown in small measure as an eleven year old politely but unrelentingly requesting the hand in marriage of another Brannockstown pre-teen. I remember the spiritedness, community focus and competitive energy very well.

It’s a pleasure to have your interviews recounting the structure and pride once palpable in the home community.

Respectfully,

Terence Martin Breslin
President and CEO
VSS monitoring, Inc.
San Carlos, CA. 94070

RTA on N72

Emergency services are attending a 2-car crash on the Sunnyhill turnoff on the Athy Road.

No information is available on casualties.

Pastoral Council elections complete

The elections to the first Parish Pastoral Council have been completed.



Following the counting of votes in the Parish Centre last night, elected are Maurice O'Mahoney, Gavin Coyne, Howard Berney, Pat Goulding, Evelyn McKenzie-Smith and Charlie Talbot.

Frs Murphy and O'Sullivan are ex-officio members of the Council, and six other members will be appointed.

There were 355 ballot papers cast in the election, which took place in Kilcullen and Gormanstown following masses over the weekend and involved 21 candidates.



The count was supervised by Eithne Coughlan, County Registrar, pictured above second from left with Rose McMahon, John Martin, Maureen O'Toole and Matt Doyle.

The other pictures below from the count illustrate in their own way the local interest in the outcome.








Brian Byrne.

Work goes apace of lights

The work on the Christmas lights was almost frenetic over this last weekend, with the contractor taking advantage of the lower traffic levels to get work done.



Meantime, the KCA/Kilcullen Tidy Towns appeal for the cost of the lights, which is in the region of €10,000 because certain capital expenditure for safety and continuity reasons had to be undertaken, is continuing.

Donation envelopes which have been distributed to every home and business can be dropped into Kieran Forde, Berney's Chemist or An Tearmann.



Brian Byrne.

Tim Sparks at Ballymore tonight

Tim Sparks was given his first guitar when a bout of encephalitis kept him out of school for a year, and the music he heard around him was traditional country blues, and the gospel his grandmother played on piano in a small church in the Blue Ridge mountains, so that's what he taught himself to play.



Nominated by an uncle for a scholarship at the North Carolina School of the Arts, he studied all kinds of music, increasingly turning to classic jazz for inspiration. He adapted compositions by Jelly Roll Morton, Scott Joplin, and Fats Waller to the guitar. Early influences were Doc Watson, Arthur Smith and, most importantly, Duck Baker, who opened up an horizon of possibilities for fingerstyle guitar.
    
While recording three albums with the seminal vocal jazz ensemble Rio Nido, Sparks also became proficient in jazz styles from Brazilian to Be Bop, which brought him several regional music awards including Best Acoustic Guitarist, Best Latin Jazz guitarist, and Best Jazz Guitarist.

Later he acquired an interest in European and Mediterranean styles, particularly the music of the Balkans, culminating in the recording of his 'Balkan Dreams Suite', a remarkable collection of odd-meter guitar arrangements.

He plays the Ballymore Inn tonight, Monday, Nov 21. Of particular to Kilcullenites should be show opener Deirdre Starr who takes the stage at 9:30. So come along and enjoy a fantastic night's entertainment.

Doors open 9pm. Further info from Larry Roddy 045 864017.

Roy Thompson.

Good voting for Parish Council

There was a very good turnout after last night's and this morning's Masses of voters for the first Kilcullen Parish Pastoral Council.


Pictured this morning are Sabina Reddy casting her vote, with poll supervisors Dr Deirdre Collins and Maureen O'Toole, and Dr Collins's daughter.

Voting concludes today after evening Mass, in the Parish Centre in Kilcullen.

The votes will be counted tomorrow evening in the Parish Centre. All are welcome.

Brian Byrne.

Deirdre plays Ballymore Inn

Deirdre Starr will be playing the Ballymore Inn next Monday at 9.30pm.

She'll be sharing the gig with US-based guitarist extraordinaire, Tim Sparks.

A good night is assured for all music lovers. Kilcullen people should support Deirdre particularly.

Bridge 'hit squad' goes to work

Work began in earnest this week on the refurbishment of the bridge, using money allocated by the Department of the Environment several years ago.



Kildare County Council is in charge of the work, which includes replacing the footpaths, changing the lighting, and landscaping the bridge area.



The Council's plans have been the subject of sometimes controversial discussion at meetings of Kilcullen Community Action in recent months.



But the money has to be spent before the end of this year, and the flurry of activity in recent days is already showing results perceived to be much faster than the norm from a local authority operation.



"We're the 'hit squad'," one worker on the project told the Diary with a grin as, even in the dusk of a Friday evening, bollards and granite kerbing were being installed and wiring for the new lights was being conduited along the excavated footpath area on one side of the bridge.

One estimate offered was that it would take a week to finish one side ('the cobble lock takes time'). Still, the work might well be completely finished before the end of the month.

Whatever about the recent localised controversy about how the money is being spent, the Diary makes its own acknowledgement to work that seems to be efficient in progress.

Brian Byrne.

GAA accolades

Tommy O’Connor was awarded Club Person of the Year at the recent Kilcullen GAA Dinner Dance.

Kevin O'Brien won the Player of the Year accolade, while the event was also an occasion to make special presentations to club presidents who over the years have given endless time and dedication to our club –- Billy Aspell, Andy O’Connor and Pat Lynch.

Meanwhile, the Under 15 girls team are playing their final against Kill today, at Ellistown pitch at 12 noon, and the Under 21 championship match postponed last weekend is today at 2pm, at home in Kilcullen.

Badminton Club in 'semis'

Kilcullen Badminton Club Mens 1st team have advanced to the semi final of the Mens Cup with a well deserved win over Teamsters of Baldoyle on a scoreline of 3-1.



Full details and match report can be read on the club's new website, which is being managed by Mark Phelan.

It's nice to see that they too are following the Diary by using the Google 'Blogger' system, which is excellent for regularly updated news sites.

Brian Byrne.

Miscellany on Sunday: 2

Here are some more pictures from the Miscellany on Sunday event hosted by Phena and Tom Bermingham last weekend in aid of the Michael Garry House hostel for the homeless in Newbridge.






Brian Byrne.

Kildare artists' exhibition

The Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge is hosting the 5th annual AKA exhibition until Saturday 3rd December.

AKA is the representative body for professional artists living/working in County Kildare. This annual exhibition is the focal point for these artists to show their work collectively and work on display includes various examples of painting, print and sculpture. It is an excellent chance to see professional artists' work collectively.

This exhibition also provides an ideal opportunity to purchase from artists' whose work is currently represented in private and public collections, both at home and abroad.

Admission is free.

Defibrillator meeting